New Names

[thaibebop]

Some curious fun for all here.

When my wife came to America the Yankees had problems saying her name. So, she choose an English name. Now, she had the nickname of Nan before she came here, so she choose Nancy as the name she would go by here. I have noticed that all her Thai friends who come here end up selecting a western name to help them deal with the thick Yankee tongue.

So, here is what I am wondering. If you have a Thai spouse (or any spouse who does not have a western name) and you leave Thailand (or the place of their culture) do they have trouble over their name? If so, do they choose another name to go by and how did they choose this name?

Also, it seems that Asians do this alot. I have known Chinese and Japanese to change their names here in the States as well. Do any of us westerners do this when we go to Thailand or other places. Have you choosen a Thai name to go by?

My father-in-law thinks I should have a Thai name. My Chinese teacher always calls me by the Chinese name she gave me in class. Should we take on a name of a culture if we plan on being apart of it for a long time?

[Rj 81]

I don't think people will have much trouble with my fianceé's name, Tuk. Or so I hope anyway

[Neeranam]

I have got a new name - Neeranam

[suegha]

A lot of questions here. My wife's name is Rebekah, in Thailand no one can say it, so she is Bekah, or a Thai nick name she was given 'Jampa'.

My tv name is my Thai nick name.

Many friends of mine from Asia just choose a name that people can pronounce, which also has meaning to them. My next door neighbour's names are 'Sunil and Sunjita' which are not their real names as no one can pronounce their real names.

I think it's a good thing to have a Thai nick name, ours were given to us by Thai friends of ours which made them special.

Sometimes the names themselves are not 'appropriate', for example another Indian friend of ours had the name, wait for it, Dick Sh1t. (not spelled like this but pronounced like this) so he had to change it, as working in the UK and answering the phone 'Good afternoon, Dick Sh1t here,' was not on!

[thaibebop]

A lot of questions here. My wife's name is Rebekah, in Thailand no one can say it, so she is Bekah, or a Thai nick name she was given 'Jampa'.

My tv name is my Thai nick name.

Many friends of mine from Asia just choose a name that people can pronounce, which also has meaning to them. My next door neighbour's names are 'Sunil and Sunjita' which are not their real names as no one can pronounce their real names.

I think it's a good thing to have a Thai nick name, ours were given to us by Thai friends of ours which made them special.

Sometimes the names themselves are not 'appropriate', for example another Indian friend of ours had the name, wait for it, Dick Sh1t. (not spelled like this but pronounced like this) so he had to change it, as working in the UK and answering the phone 'Good afternoon, Dick Sh1t here,' was not on!

So, when he dates English girls does he ever tell them his real name?

[suegha]

A lot of questions here. My wife's name is Rebekah, in Thailand no one can say it, so she is Bekah, or a Thai nick name she was given 'Jampa'.

My tv name is my Thai nick name.

Many friends of mine from Asia just choose a name that people can pronounce, which also has meaning to them. My next door neighbour's names are 'Sunil and Sunjita' which are not their real names as no one can pronounce their real names.

I think it's a good thing to have a Thai nick name, ours were given to us by Thai friends of ours which made them special.

Sometimes the names themselves are not 'appropriate', for example another Indian friend of ours had the name, wait for it, Dick Sh1t. (not spelled like this but pronounced like this) so he had to change it, as working in the UK and answering the phone 'Good afternoon, Dick Sh1t here,' was not on!

So, when he dates English girls does he ever tell them his real name?

Oh yes, causes great mirth!!!

[goodguy]

Yeah, I think many people have a hang up sometime in their life over their given name. I think it is something to do with peer and professional pressure. Maybe inner pressure.... On a recent flight, Cathay Pacific via Hong Kong, I was served by hostess with the nametag "Doris". When she served me I asked," What is your Chinese name? She went red, and hurriedly served the next person. So, I guessed in that case, it was company policy to dub their employees as a matter of course. As I looked around the cabin crew, I noticed not a single Chinese name.

gg

Edited April 7, 2006 by goodguy

[thaibebop]

Yeah, I think many people have a hang up sometime in their life over their given name. I think it is something to do with peer and professional pressure. Maybe inner pressure.... On a recent flight, Cathay Pacific via Hong Kong, I was served by hostess with the nametag "Doris". When she served me I asked," What is your Chinese name? She went red, and hurriedly served the next person. So, I guessed in that case, it was company policy to dub their employees as a matter of course. As I looked around the cabin crew, I noticed not a single Chinese name.

gg

So, maybe they place more value on their Chinese names and only let friends know it? Just an idea. I don't why she would get embarassed over it unless she was ashamed to use the English name.

[goodguy]

Yeah, I think many people have a hang up sometime in their life over their given name. I think it is something to do with peer and professional pressure. Maybe inner pressure.... On a recent flight, Cathay Pacific via Hong Kong, I was served by hostess with the nametag "Doris". When she served me I asked," What is your Chinese name? She went red, and hurriedly served the next person. So, I guessed in that case, it was company policy to dub their employees as a matter of course. As I looked around the cabin crew, I noticed not a single Chinese name.

gg

So, maybe they place more value on their Chinese names and only let friends know it? Just an idea. I don't why she would get embarassed over it unless she was ashamed to use the English name.

Dear Thai Bebop, Maybe you could kindly read my post again...

[thaibebop]

Yeah, I think many people have a hang up sometime in their life over their given name. I think it is something to do with peer and professional pressure. Maybe inner pressure.... On a recent flight, Cathay Pacific via Hong Kong, I was served by hostess with the nametag "Doris". When she served me I asked," What is your Chinese name? She went red, and hurriedly served the next person. So, I guessed in that case, it was company policy to dub their employees as a matter of course. As I looked around the cabin crew, I noticed not a single Chinese name.

gg

So, maybe they place more value on their Chinese names and only let friends know it? Just an idea. I don't why she would get embarassed over it unless she was ashamed to use the English name.

Dear Thai Bebop, Maybe you could kindly read my post again...

I did and I posted some ideas for dicussion.

[Jeff1]

Nah , edited because im a really nice guy

Edited April 8, 2006 by Jeff1

[phibunmike]

Yeah, I think many people have a hang up sometime in their life over their given name. I think it is something to do with peer and professional pressure. Maybe inner pressure.... On a recent flight, Cathay Pacific via Hong Kong, I was served by hostess with the nametag "Doris". When she served me I asked," What is your Chinese name? She went red, and hurriedly served the next person. So, I guessed in that case, it was company policy to dub their employees as a matter of course. As I looked around the cabin crew, I noticed not a single Chinese name.

gg

So, maybe they place more value on their Chinese names and only let friends know it? Just an idea. I don't why she would get embarassed over it unless she was ashamed to use the English name.

In Singapore the majority of tertiary educated Chinese have a western name as well as their Chinese name, so for example Tan Chin Wee (Mr. Tan, formally, Chin Wee to friends) might call himslef Charlie Tan Chin Wee (with Charlie being as close to Chin Wee as he could get). Then at work he will be called Charlie most ofthe time. I think they do it to be "modern" - with 70% of the population Chinese, and all the names one or two single syllables, its hardly to help others pronounce them

[sbk]

My husband's name is easy enough to pronounce so he never adopted a western name and most Thai people call me a shortened version of my real name.

When I lived in Taiwan I taught English part time (mainly there to study Chinese) I was not only encouraged to take a Chinese name but my students were anxious to adopt a western name. Had a few Rambos which I tried to discourage, alas to no avail

[Tippaporn]

My wifey gave me a Thai nick - teehrak.

The kids just call me Papa.

Beats the nicks I had back home - a-hole, j**off, pr*ck.

[chippie]

Some curious fun for all here.

When my wife came to America the Yankees had problems saying her name. So, she choose an English name. Now, she had the nickname of Nan before she came here, so she choose Nancy

They couldn't say Nan but could say Nancy

[srisatch]

Do you actually know your wife's g/f's real name?? Well you probably do if you are married...assuming you can read the document!

It works both ways. In the case of Thailand and English speaking people these are both strong cultures that seek to appropriate identity and thus language and nomenclature into an acceptable form. No one, in either Thailand, Japan or China could pronounce my true given name-so happens I come from the Celtic fringe...so they gave me a variety of appellations..most of them have settled on or circle round my family name, which is easier. Given that most English speaking people cannot say my name either we were not surprised when there was a great effort in Europe to give my wife a 'pronounceable' name. She is called Kunjana (her Chu Len is Koy as she is the 5th child), but there were astonishin Middle East connotations with that we discovered!! The best that they could come up with was Kate. She tolerates it. She calls me by my real name

But naming and identity and different ways of dealing with it is a real topic. All those people named Pig so the devils cannot steal the beautiful boy. I have met people in LOS who wear their shirts inside out to ward off attacks on their ID.............Could this be a solution to UK ID cards?

Also by the way does your wife have her Thai Family name or her Married name on her ID Card and/or Passport??

[Patex]

I have got a new name - Neeranam

[stumonster]

my sisters name is Hui Ling

when she came to thailand for a visit her plane was about 40 minutes late , and I was waiting at the arrivals gate it occured to me I might have missed her and I would have to get her paged . as I was running the scenario through my head , I finally realised that if I went to the girl at the info counter and asked her to page Hui Ling that I would probably recieve a good slap in return. I advised my sister that maybe she should use a nick name while she was here.

[skylar]

It's really common for Chinese from Hong Kong to choose English names. When they do, they are really old fashioned names. I have lost count of the number Hong Kongers called Doris, Dorothy, or Gloria...

A trend for Vietnamese who give birth in the West is to formally choose a Western name to go on their baby's birth certificate and don't even both giving a Vietnamese middle name. Of course, it must be something they can pronounce. That is why there are a squillion Peters and Johns.

Finally, my real name is similar to my Thai nickname. It's just easier for everyone.

[English Noodles]

Thai people just use a shorter version of my real name (first 3 letters) however there is one person at the food market beside my house that calls me 'Alan' absoloutly nothing like my real name and have no idea where he gets it from, he hears other people call me the real one but still insists on calling me Alan.

Very much like Trigger calling Rodney, Dave. (only Brits will get that)

Edited April 8, 2006 by English Noodles

[jomama]

I always wondered about the Thai name Terdsak

[Kerryd]

Casual friends here have problems with my name, having the double "rr"'s and all.

However, the people that know me the best don't seem to have a problem.

As far as I can tell, I don't have an official knickname.

My unofficial knicknames are "khee nio", "butterfly", "airport" and "Jai Raai"

I guess they are having problems deciding which one suits me best on a day-to-day basis !

[thaibebop]

Some curious fun for all here.

When my wife came to America the Yankees had problems saying her name. So, she choose an English name. Now, she had the nickname of Nan before she came here, so she choose Nancy

They couldn't say Nan but could say Nancy

No, she never told them her nick name. It was her Thai nickname that helped her pick out her American name.

[thaibebop]

Do you actually know your wife's g/f's real name?? Well you probably do if you are married...assuming you can read the document!

It works both ways. In the case of Thailand and English speaking people these are both strong cultures that seek to appropriate identity and thus language and nomenclature into an acceptable form. No one, in either Thailand, Japan or China could pronounce my true given name-so happens I come from the Celtic fringe...so they gave me a variety of appellations..most of them have settled on or circle round my family name, which is easier. Given that most English speaking people cannot say my name either we were not surprised when there was a great effort in Europe to give my wife a 'pronounceable' name. She is called Kunjana (her Chu Len is Koy as she is the 5th child), but there were astonishin Middle East connotations with that we discovered!! The best that they could come up with was Kate. She tolerates it. She calls me by my real name

But naming and identity and different ways of dealing with it is a real topic. All those people named Pig so the devils cannot steal the beautiful boy. I have met people in LOS who wear their shirts inside out to ward off attacks on their ID.............Could this be a solution to UK ID cards?

Also by the way does your wife have her Thai Family name or her Married name on her ID Card and/or Passport??

Wow, another jerk.

[Johpa]

My wife was given a Thai name when she entered the Thai school system, Panatda. Her Thai nickname was simply the shortened version, Da, which was also a syllable in her more ethnic non-Thai first name. When we moved to the US, Panatda was way too long and too foreign to the tongue of my fellow Americans, so at work she adopted the nickname of Nida as many Farangs are not comfortable with some single syllable Thai nicknames.

Back in Thailand in the village we are both addressed, as are most of our neighbors, in relation to our first born, Johpa and Johmo.

[bbigman21]

Well in Thailand we use my wifes nickname which is Or and here she uses her real name Which is Wanisa. My name is Jim easy to so in both. Soe Thai get quite a giggle out of it as some of you might.

[skylar]

ไม้จิ้มฟัน - toothpick

[Jasmine]

Some curious fun for all here.

My father-in-law thinks I should have a Thai name. My Chinese teacher always calls me by the Chinese name she gave me in class. Should we take on a name of a culture if we plan on being apart of it for a long time?

You could select your name using the lucky letters theory.

When both my kids were born Thai father-in-law gave us a book which helped us work out which letter sounds were lucky for the day they were born on and gave suggestions for names that incorporated those letters.

[daleyboy]

In the uk my wife uses her nickname for everyday use with friends etc, but on offical documents she uses her proper name.

[DavieA]

Always got a laugh out of Thai name "I######".